This invention concerns lockers, particularly lockers contained in a bank or group of similar lockers, and especially such lockers provided for temporary storage of a user's articles. This invention also concerns lockable cabinets as well as furniture, especially office furniture. More specifically the invention concerns a system of electronic locks on the doors of such a system of lockers, cabinets and furniture and the means by which these electronic locks are set and reset as to access codes, particularly manager access codes, as well as operating parameters. Typically access codes of users will be input via keypad, but the system can be one in which an RFID credential or other electronic credential is used, and in that case the locks can be set or reset as to those credentials using the system of the invention.
The following patents have some relevance to the current invention: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,592,408, 5,245,329, 5,337,043, 5,367,295, 5,552,777, 5,886,644, 5,894,277, 6,000,609, 6,374,653, 6,552,650, 6,791,450, 6,826,935, 6,927,670, 7,336,150, 7,397,343, 8,161,781, 8,495,898, 8,490,443 and 9,208,628. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,894,277 and 5,886,644 described locker locks with inner and outer housings that are connected to inner and outer sides of a locker door, with the locks connected together, optionally through the holes of a standard three-hole locker door prep. Access to a lock in these patents was obtained through a keypad or an electronic “key” device which was used to a transfer a code to the terminal of the lock. U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,180 disclosed electronic locker locks of generally similar construction, with a keypad as a primary means of access by entering a code, but also including a key reader receptacle to receive a code electronically, without the keypad, as an alternate means for accessing the lock. This may be in the possession of a manager, for example. The patent mentions that an audit trail feature can be included in the event that a plurality of managers each hold an electronic key, so that a record can be kept in the lock (and downloaded as needed) to show a history of electronic key access events. The above U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,000,609, 6,374,653, 6,552,650 and 9,208,628 also mention audit features in electronic locks. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,495,898, 8,490,443, 9,208,628 and 9,222,284. All patents referenced in this paragraph are incorporated by reference in their entireties, and especially in regard to disclosures of audit modes, locker lock structures, and cam lock configurations, structures and operation.
There is a need for an electronic lock system, particularly for temporary-use lockers, cabinets and furniture but also for long-term or permanently assigned lockers, cabinets and furniture wherein locks can be conveniently, efficiently and securely set and reset as to operating codes and manager access codes, as well as controlling operating parameters and optionally retrieving audit information, using a smartphone or other small hand-held computer device.